Christophoros hypatos and kommerkiarios of Adrianoupolis (822/3?)

Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 44.5.Zacos-Veglery, no. 283.

Details

Diameter:

29 mm

Obverse

Bust of two emperors of equal height; each wears chlamys and crown with cross. The figure at left is bearded, the other beardless. In center above, a cross. Below an exergual line, indiction signs:  Α. No visible border.

Ἰνδικτιὼν αˊ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Wreath border.

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΦΟΡΥΠΚΟΜΜΕΡΚ.ΔΡΙΝΟΠΟΛΕ

Χριστοφόρου ὑπάτουκαὶ κομμερκιαρίουἈδριανουπόλεως

Translation

Audio

Commentary

This is an early ninth-century seal because the indiction signs are inscribed beneath the exergual line, below the imperial busts (these signs appear no earlier than the reign of Nikephoros I: Zacos-Veglery, no. 281); and its inscription twice contains the letter Ρ with a serif on top, a feature that appears on seals after 820 (Dated Seals, nos. 44 and 46). Since we have here two emperors and the seal is dated to the first indiction, one must agree with the first editors and date it to 822/3 (Michael II and Theophilos) rather than 837/8 (Theophilos: but by then his son and co-emperor Constantine was dead; cf. DO Seals 1, no. 43.18). It is true that Michael II and Theophilos, when appearing together on silver and bronze coins, are represented wearing different attire (Michael is shown in a chlamys, Theophilos in a loros), which is not the case here. One has to assume that for this seal the model is unrelated to coins.